Apparatus for tapping kegs.



No. 742,403. PATENTED OCT. 27, 1903.

I J. E. EASTER & E. L. ROBINSON. Q

APPARATUS FOR TAPPING KEGS.

APPLICATION FILED 00124. 1902.

c n m ix 1 WW 4 a (m W .H a m A m y no MODEL.

UNITED STATES iatented October 27, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES E. EASTER AND EDWARD L. ROBINSON, OF KOKOMO, INDIANA.

APPARATUS FOR TAPPI NG KEG S.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No; 742,403, dated October 2'7, 1903 Application filed October 4; 1902. Serial No. 125,974. (No model.)

To all whom it may canoerm Be it known that we, JAMES E. EASTER and EDWARD L. ROBINSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Kokomo, in the county of Howard and State of Indiana, have inventeda new and useful Apparatus for Tapping Kegs, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention is an improvement in bungs for tapping kegs of beer, ale, and similar liquors, and has for its object the production of a bung which can be driven into the keg or barrel and permitted to remain for any reasonable length of time before any of the contents are drawn off and without risk of their becoming flat or stale, also to provide a bung in which no cork or plug is required and which will be automatically closed by a valve when the desired amount has been drawn out, thus preventing access of air to that remaining in the keg.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the application of our device. Fig. 2 is a View, partly in section, taken longitudinally through the bung. Figs. 3 and 4 are detail perspective views.

Our improvement comprises a bung A, having an enlargement A on its upper portion. The bung is interiorly recessed, the recess forming at the rear a straight vent-passage A which in-the'enlarged portion of the bung opens into a central chamber A in which is located the valve mechanism. The upper portion of this chamber is upwardly open and interiorly threaded, as at A A centrallyperforated divisional wall A separates this chamber from the discharge end of the bung, and on the rear of the wall A is formed an inclined valve-seat A The discharge end of the bung is interiorly threaded at A A plug B, exteriorly threaded, fits in the outer end of the bung, the plug being perforated at B, and the perforation and rear of the plug are lined with rubber C, which acts as a packingring and bears at its inner end against the outer side of the wall A the passage O registering with but being of less diameter than the passage A In the upper threaded portion of the chamber A is threaded a plug D, oppositely recessed on its upper end and lower surfaces and having a narrow perforation D connect ing the two recesses, the inner end of the passage D being surrounded by a downwardly-extending flange D The upper r'e' cess D is adapted to receive a nipple D not a part of our improvement.

Pivotally secured to the forward sides of the chamber A is a valve member having a weight-arm E and a downwardly-inclined member E, which has a central concave portion on its front face. The valve proper comprises the perforated annular flange E surrounding the perforation, and an annular perforated rubber plate E fitting over the piece E The convex flange E rests in the concavity formed in the front face of the part E,

and a bolt E passes through the perforations formed in the parts E E E its threaded end engaging a threaded aperture formed in a brass plate E", which plate is convex in cross-section. The valve E bears against the member E only at the concavo-convexportion, and-there is thus formed a ball-and-socket jointure, which enables the valve to readily seat itself on the inclined seat A. On the inner surface of the part E is formed a lug E. A spring G is secured at one end around the flange D and at the other around the lug E and resisting the opening of the valve; The weight-arm E is bifurcated, as shown in Fig. 3, the spring passing between the arms. Should the spring break or for any reason fail to work, the valve would be seated ,by the weight of the arm E. The staff H is thrust into the bung and lifts the valve, the plate E preventing the end of the staff from striking the rubber packing E while the packingring prevents leakage around the staff.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of the de-- vice will be fully understood.

Having thus fully described our invention,

what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A device of the kind described comprising a bung interiorly recessed and apertured in its upperp0rtion,an upwardly and forwardly tween the bifurcations of the arm and seinclined valve-seat arranged below said recured at its upper end to the plug.

cess, a valve hinged in the forward portion of the recess above the valve-seat, a bifur- JAMES EASTER 5 cated weight-arm integral with and extend- EDWARD ROBINSON ing rearwardly above the valve, a plug fitting Witnesses: in the aperture, and a spring secured at its L. B. HODGIN, lower end to the valve, extending upward be- J. O. HENDERSON. 

